Bushel & a Pickle

Retro Artichoke Dip & That Spinach One Too

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Do you need a stand by hot appetizer in your favorites collection? Here you go!

Spinach Artichoke Dip!

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Add to your Recipe Collection

Having a few favorite appetizers in your ‘Favorite Family Recipes’ collection is a good idea.  The easiest of all is pre-peeled shrimp with cocktail sauce.  It is a special treat for everyone.  And of course the stand by of onion soup mix sour cream dip for potato chips! That’s a favorite for backyard cook outs.  

I have several appetizers I have collected over the years. We have crisis crossed the US and even the globe with the US Army. Some of my recipes are representation of different regions and cultures. 

California spinach atrichoke hot appetizer

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Super Bowl Time!

Artichoke Dip started out as “California Dip”.  At least that is what my California born fellow military wives called it. Unsurprisingly, we first had at the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California. Mind you, I barely knew what an artichoke was before we moved there! I bought fresh artichokes by the brown paper grocery bag full for a dollar! The Artichoke Capital, Castroville was the next valley over.

Honestly,  we military wives have a large assortment of recipes from many regions and cultures. Our self published cookbooks as fund-raisers was our method of passing them along. Pre-internet days. Pre-blogging. Most of us were pretty good cooks. Having folks over or carrying a dish to a pot luck appetizer gathering or dinner was frequent and fun.

I also served it as a meat and gluten free option for a women’s leadership group brunch.  With the season of bowl games and play offs on us, serving hot and cold appetizers are the way to go!

setting to serve for the occasion

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Using Individual Dishes for Serving

Set your serving space on the coffee table or end of the dining room one that is easy for smaller groups of family or friends. If you are hosting a larger group, consider what will be the best. That may include moving furniture around. The photo above was game day. It was just our family so I served from the coffee table and provided small dishes, silverware and fun paper napkins.

Appetizers for New Year’s Eve Supper Hot and Cold Offering

I pulled out a silver dip serving platter, vintage and Autumn china, silver and crystal champagne flutes for our New Year’s Eve supper. I also brought bottle trees and votives to make the table extra special for us. Taking the time to make your setting just a little extra special is appreciated!

Often there were hot appetizers served with cold appetizers and “finger” food. You could make a meal of the delicious offerings.  

We did New Year’s Eve! Hot Spinach Artichole Dip, Mini Hot Dog Slices in BBQ Sauce, Vegetable Platter with Ranch Dip was plenty for us 4. Like many of you, our celebrations were downsized this year but we still had delicious food on those days and warm fellowship.

Family story with Artichoke and spinach dip

It is a favorite Grandpa grandchild story, As a bonus that summer, he also taught our oldest son to drive and took hin to get his driver’s license.

We came home for 6 months with all of our kids including our two treasured younger daughters.

While visiting my dad, we headed  to the revised renovated downtown of Chattanooga for some sight seeing and dinner.  A plug for Chattanooga.  Check out their website. There’s lots to do for couples and families. It’s a fun destination for vacations. Check out my cousin’s blog,  My Home and Travels for more.

Sticky Fingers Smokehouse was the dinner destination.  We ordered spinach and artichoke dip with tortilla chips.  It may have been our first time having it with tortilla chips.  We were home for the summer from China.  

Meg, our youngest was around 18 months at the time. Grandpa feed her chips loaded with dip. If he was too slow, she began to cry. There were 9 of us but soon the table appetizer became hers. He was having a great time with her!

Dad ordered another one…”bring it fast” were the instructions.  Poor Meg was beside herself. The dip was gone. We were amazed at how she loved this dish.  In her defence, it was a long day and she was most definitely hungry!

Meg ate the entire thing!  By herself.  She still will often order that for her meal. Today, she still loves Spinach Artichole Dip.  

I served this for a small family gathering with other appetizers too.

New Year’s Eve Appetizer Supper

Hope you enjoy this delicious appetizer as much as we do!

Here’s the recipe.

Linda

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2.97 from 91 votes
Hot flavorful dip using fresh spinach and artichoke hearts. Includes dairy.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: California
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cup chopped sautéed spinach fresh or frozen
  • 1 12 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and broken up
  • 2 blocks cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or shredded mixed Italian cheeses
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Adjust to taste or Tabasco sauce
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder option: fresh minced garlic

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
  2. Lightly grease shallow 8×8 or 8×11 baking dish
  3. Saute fresh spinach in olive oil with garlic (if spinach is frozen squeeze out all liquid)
  4. Drain artichokes; squeeze to breakup into small pieces
  5. In medium skillet, mix together over med low heat, cream cheese, sour cream, Paramesan cheese
  6. Remove from heat; stir in mayo, spinach and artichoke hearts
  7. Put in baking dish
  8. Bake for 20 -25 minutes until bubbly and golden brown
  9. Serve with crispy French bread slices or tortilla chips

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year to You and Yours!

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Reader Interactions

linda

Comments

  90. Your vintage silverware has me swooning. I’m always looking but haven’t found my set yet. Love the delicious comfort of foods like artichoke dip.

    Reply

  95. 5 stars
    What a lovely setting and I just love both of these classic dips! Hope you have a great week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  97. This is a great recipe that I almost forget about! I used to make the “retro recipe” as you call it on Sunday evenings for a quick snack. It was always a hit. This was such a beautiful way to share a recipe with us as the pictures are so pretty and cozy. Thank you for linking up with the Art of Home-Making Mondays! Please join us again today for a fresh start (and longer exposure since you linked up this one so close to the end :)!

    Reply

    • I called it retro because when have I seen it anywhere in recent years? I actually like it the best but when your kids have strong preferences…. Thanks for the tip and invitation to join again! Have a good week.

      Reply

  99. Oh, my! This sounds wonderful! I make one that is similar to the second one. Thanks for the reminder…I haven’t made it in quite a while! Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving sweet encouragement behind. So happy to meet you!

    Reply

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